Sonia Wang

Go to our team page (below) and click “Join This Team” or “Donate”: 
https://stridesforpeace.enmotive.com/events_teams/fundraising/a0e2c6e3-ff7b-4ab4-8ac2-b889be8ff4ac

Our efforts will culminate with a Race Day on Saturday, June 11 in Grant Park as we gather with Strides for Peace and other community partners who are working to raise awareness and continue respective violence prevention efforts. This is NCO’s largest fundraiser with a goal of raising $25,000! We hope you’ll partner with us by donating OR fundraising and joining us to run/walk so that restorative justice continues to be part of the culture and lifestyle of our community!!

Every year at the start of the KEY Program, our youth restorative justice program, we prioritize time in circle for the community of people to reflect on their personal safe spaces in an intentional effort to cultivate a safe space collectively. During this time, we engage in a visualization activity, allowing our minds to be reminded of the things, people, circumstances that allow us to feel grounded and at peace. Safe does not necessarily mean comfort; we recognize comfort can be temporary or conditional.

Every time I engage in this visualization exercise, I imagine being wrapped in my mother’s arm, safe from the negativity that can brood in our society and my personal traumas that fight to remain actively present. When we transition out of the exercise, participants in circle share about our safe space and what makes that space safe for each of us. I share how my mother’s embrace, no matter my age, gives me strength and assurance. As we share and listen, I am reminded of the power of spaces like circle to dip into our vulnerability so that we can heal together a little more deeply, perhaps a bit more holistically.

This year has affirmed New Community Outreach‘s ongoing efforts to work with our partners and neighbors to ensure access to safe, restorative spaces. I am incredibly grateful for the symbiotic nature of these spaces. It is beautiful and gratifying to be in circle, cultivate this safe space, and see our students hold space for one another, for me, and for themselves.

To have space held for us and to hold space for another continues to be incredibly important as we continue to navigate this journey we are on. While many steps forward were taken in 2021, many setbacks continue to be experienced by all of us. So while NCO is grateful for the ways we were able to heal, reconcile, and flourish alongside our youth and community, we know that the work continues; it is something that is ongoing. 

As we wrap up 2021, I thank you for the many ways you have supported NCO’s work and our efforts in serving the greater Bronzeville neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. I wish for belly laughter, reminders of your safe space, and the bandwidth to hold space for one another during this holiday season. I eagerly look forward to sharing more news about how we will continue to commit to restorative justice in 2022!

Thank you for your continued partnership,
Sonia Wang, NCO Executive Director 

Over the past months, supporters of New Community Outreach came together to join Team NCO in our largest fundraiser to Race Against Gun Violence. If you follow our social media, you heard from many of them about why they run and why they support NCO.

Here are a few: 

As a therapist, I work daily with people who are healing from trauma. But I am not interested in colluding with a system that encourages healing from trauma, but not stopping it from happening in the first place. I want the experience of trauma to decrease overall, not just help people one by one as they continually experience gun violence, police brutality, community disinvestment, and lack of resources. -Tiffany

Coming out of my divorce, I took on giving my time in this way to shift focus, to ground and stabilize my emotions, and to connect with people from my community.  I also thought the idea of using the flower beds at Jackie Robinson to re-invest in the community was a pretty genius and effective use of space and resources.  By the way, NCO’s flower bed gardens provide fresh produce for free and to anyone who shows up on Saturday mornings. I enjoy seeing “the regulars” and talking to them about what meals they will make with the produce.  My favorite part is seeing the seniors from our community come out.  Being able to see and engage with them is a treasure. -Dawn

I’m running (even though I hate running!) because I’m wanting to imagine a safer and more whole Chicago. I really believe NCO will contribute to the reduction and ending of gun violence in our city because they address the issues of our community holistically. They feed people’s bodies with fresh produce from our garden, tend to the healing of our youth by facilitating peace circles, and empower imagination from within our own community. I was so inspired that their KEY program with high schoolers this summer sought to actually address the need for more access to mental health with ideas that the youth actually came up with. I love supporting this organization in any way possible! -Sara

On Thursday, September 23rd, given that the official Race Against Gun Violence was virtual, over 20 members of Team NCO gathered at Ellis Park to raise awareness of gun violence and pursue a more peaceful, safe Chicago (see picture below).

It is through their amazing efforts and the generous donations of so many, that I am elated to share that we not only met but surpassed our goal of raising $25,000! 

We are especially excited about this because we are kicking off our school year KEY Program, our restorative justice program for high school students. This year, we are excited to be partnered with three high schools in the greater Bronzeville neighborhood, and we will be providing programming to over 100 students! Thank you as always for your partnership & support.

With gratitude,
Sonia Wang, NCO Executive Director

In our KEY youth restorative justice program, we define change agents as someone who promotes and enacts change motivated by unjust social issues. While we may not be able to entirely correct a system or institution, we acknowledge that there are steps we can take to effect change.

The final month of our school program has been focused on planning and implementing a mini community giveback project. This project gives students the opportunity to develop leadership skills, engage with their neighbors in a new way, and understand their role in building a stronger, more resilient community. It also allows students to play a role in mitigating the impact of social injustice issues. This year, poverty, gun violence, and racism were issues that our three session groups chose to confront and creatively develop a project to activate change.

Each group worked collaboratively as a team, learning what it takes to reach consensus, how to delegate, and what accountability looks like to make progress. With our students at the helm, our projects aimed to increase awareness and decrease harm caused by the issue through the following projects: 

• creating and circulating a video that featured a student poem and invited viewers to donate to a local non-profit organization that supports low-income families with resources; 
• creating a video campaign highlighting personal experiences with race and racism; 
• hosting a peace circle about racism for youth to digest their personal experiences and actively consider how to impact positive change.

You may hear these project descriptions and think, what kind of impact could that have done? or that must have taken a lot of time and effort! Alternatively, I offer a different thought – change is not quantifiable; instead, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world” (Howard Zinn). I wonder what could happen in our society if this became a common saying that we heard, repeated, and lived by. 

As we enter the summer season, I am excited to share about many opportunities to volunteer with New Community Outreach. Read on for more details! We are distributing produce, welcoming a cohort of 10 students and 3 student interns for our summer leadership program, planning our annual back to school fun fair, and fundraising to Race Against Gun Violence. 

Whether it is with NCO or another avenue, I hope you will be open to the call to activate the change agent within you. And in doing so, take steps together in transforming the world for the better through small (and big) acts.

Thank you as always for your partnership,
Sonia Wang, NCO Executive Director

What’s Happening at NCO…

Garden to Table Program 2021 – We are looking forward to start our weekly produce distributions on Saturday, June 19. Thanks to all our partners – Chicago Foundation for Women, The Farm, Live Healthy Chicago, and New Community Covenant Church-Bronzeville.

Mid-October 2020 – June 2021: KEY School Year Program – We are wrapping up our school year restorative justice program with a final celebration gathering. Students, families, school partners, and board members gathered to eat, play games, hear about the amazing projects students developed and engage in one final circle altogether. 

June -August 2021: KEY Summer Leadership Program (SLP) – SLP begins at the end of the month. We are excited to have 10 student participants, 3 student interns, and numerous guest speakers and trips planned for the program. We are excited to partner once more with the Chicago Bulls, who will  provide learning opportunities for our student to develop skills in areas such as project development, budgeting, and pitching.  

Our third care package drop off was very special! We had the opportunity to deliver a special gift to each student, chosen by the student’s mentors. The growing relationship between students and mentors allow us to care even more intentionally for our youth.

As I listened to our KEY students in these spaces of reflection, I walked away with this:
Things were hard and different and new. Some things have changed since then; most things have not. The constant in our lives is ourselves. We are the ones who choose each day to see the beauty, to ask for help, and to continue to learn. We do our best to choose what enters into our lives and what does not. 

February NCO Happenings:

Garden to Table Program 2021 – The Garden to Table Program will resume this spring in our effort to grow fresh produce and distribute widely to our neighbors. We are currently in the process of bringing on a Garden Manager for this season, who will be a critical team member to ensure that our program is successful once again. If you or someone you know is interested, please see this position description for more details and complete the application form. 

Mid-October 2020 – June 2021: KEY School Year Program – NCO’s youth restorative justice programming continues to meet weekly virtually and monthly in person as well as drop off care packages to students’ homes on a quarterly basis. Our KEY Mentors check in with students on a regular basis as well.  We are grateful to our school partners, Walter H. Dyett and Daniel Hale Williams, as we continue to support our students holistically.

Last week, our KEY students wrapped up their first semester of school. A school year that started within the confines of their homes. A school year that is marked by using the chat box and turning cameras on. A school year that relies on devices and screens, rather than a building, to remain connected.

To wrap up the semester, we spent time leaning into the spirit of Sankofa, “a metaphorical symbol used by the Akan people of Ghana, generally depicted as a bird with its head turned backward taking an egg from its back. It expresses the importance of reaching back to knowledge gained in the past and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress” (www.sankofa.org). In our virtual circle session, we reflected on the questions: What are you proud of from S1? What did you learn from S1 that you hope to bring into S2? At our in person session (below), we remembered events from 2020 and dissected the emotions that we associated each event with. 

As I listened to our KEY students in these spaces of reflection, I walked away with this:
Things were hard and different and new. Some things have changed since then; most things have not. The constant in our lives is ourselves. We are the ones who choose each day to see the beauty, to ask for help, and to continue to learn. We do our best to choose what enters into our lives and what does not. 

Our youth are wise. We can never truly understand what this year has been like for our children, our adolescents, our young people. When I read the KEY Mantra, I am humbled and encouraged as I am reminded that our present and our future will be led by leaders who understand that:

The only person who can stop me is me. 
Life is tough but so am I.
Life is rough but I will thrive. 
I will be because I say I will be. 

As we move into a new month and a new semester, we explore a new topic series with our students in the spirit of Sankofa. Looking back to the history of our community on the south side of Chicago and understanding the complex, racially charged story of our city, we will seek to understand and learn what it means to make positive progress. I hope you’ll find pockets of moments to also sit in the spirit of Sankofa so that we collectively can move forward with flourishing because of the knowledge gained from the past.  

Thank you as always for your partnership,
Sonia Wang, Executive Director

Sometimes our circumstances, even when difficult, can create opportunities. Back in 2020 when the world shut down with the onset of the Covid19 pandemic, our KEY Program was meeting with two groups of predominantly freshman students at Walter H. Dyett High School. Because of the limitations that came with the pandemic, we maintained the KEY Program in a virtual format and kept in touch with as many students as we could for the remainder of the school. In the 2020-2021 school year, we kicked off a year of virtual KEY Programming with those same students, who were now sophomores. These same students expressed the desire to continue to grow in circle and restorative justice spaces; their reflections and suggestions shaped our KEY Summer Leadership Program, which has been an opportunity for a cohort of students to engage more deeply in their understanding of the interconnected relationships between individual and community as humans and change agents.

This year, our KEY School Year Program established the internship program where students who have participated in KEY and completed restorative justice training can apply to join the KEY Staff to plan and facilitate circles during sessions with their peer community. Two of our interns, who are now juniors, have been with us since their freshman year; we have learned from, grown alongside, and laughed so much with these two extraordinary leaders. Hear what they have to say about being an intern, what keeps them committed, and what they want you to know about KEY. 

Jacinta M.

“Being an intern in KEY has taught me to be more easy on myself. Everything does not have to be perfect. Try your best and the rest will follow. I have stayed in KEY because it is my getaway from life. When I’m in session, the only thing that matters is the session. I want people to know that with KEY, what you put in you get out. If you put yourself out there, and if others put themselves out there, you learn more about yourself and others. I want people to know that you can be your true authentic self with no judgment. KEY is a non-judgement zone.” (Pictured on right, facilitating her peers in arriving at consensus.)

Mia C.

“Working as a KEY intern, I have learned to be a better leader & help plan KEY meetings. I’ve also learned how to grow as an individual. I have stayed involved in KEY because you all have helped me grow as a better person & given me amazing opportunities/resources throughout the 2 years I’ve been with you. They’ve also helped me get prepared for college & my adulthood. The key program has been a blessing in my life & other teens that have joined this program because they are dedicated to helping us succeed in life now & when we leave their program. I want people to know that the KEY program is amazing for teens on the south side of Chicago because you get a remarkable amount of resources & opportunities that will help you in life. This program will help you become a leader & will allow you to meet different people. also will help prepare you for your future.” (Pictured on left, keeping circle by facilitating a check-in.)